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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Systems Thinking Behavior Over Time Graph |  Decision Making Constraint Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | A Causal Loop Diagram makes feedback, reinforcement, and balance in a system legible. It uncovers side effects and self-reinforcement that stay hidden in linear explanations. | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | A Behavior Over Time Graph shows how a metric or observation develops over time. The method makes trends, breaks, and recurring patterns visible that get lost in snapshots. | When an initiative stalls, the limit often lies not in the idea but in hard or soft boundary conditions. Constraint Analysis separates these limits and shows which of them can actually be shaped. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | 20–45 min | 20-45 min | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | Small cross-functional group | 1-10 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Causal Loop Diagram, Feedback Notes, Leverage Points | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Behavior Over Time Graph, Trend Hypotheses, Key Events | Constraint List, Hard/Soft Classification, Option Impact Notes, Decision Boundaries |
Tagsno overlap | FeedbackSystems thinkingCausalityDynamics | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | Systems thinkingPatternsDynamics | ConstraintsDecisionPlanningOptions |